[Dixielandjazz] The Best Damn Band

[Phil O'Rourke]

David Palmquist said

Sounds like it's time for a modern version of "battle of the bands"  but
 that's from the  swing era, I think.  Were they common in Dixieland music?

 Of course there were "cutting contests" in earlier days, but I think that's
 generally from early jazz pianists.

David,

In New Orleans it was reputed that bands travelled about town in horse/mule
drawn wagons to advertise coming events.
When one band came across another one they were said to tie the wagon wheels
together and play until one band gave up. The other band got the bulk of the
work.

There are many stories about these meetings and how one person outblew the
best of the other band.

This was in the days when OKOM hadn't even been called Jass yet.


Phil O'Rourke
Australia